Backened Hearts, Bound by Sorrow
by Catreana
Summary: Akiko loves Hiei, he doesn't feel the same, plain and simple. But can the fiery girl win him over when no one else could?
1. Sacrifice

The coyote demon grabbed hold of the girl by the forearms. She tried to struggle free of his grasp, but it was futile.

Strong winds and light surrounded the two as the girl still tried to get free.

On the opposite side of the room a small fire demon regained consciousness and in a flash he had knocked the coyote away from the girl and deep into a wall.

Then the fire demon heard something he didn't expect.

Laughter.

The coyote demon walked out of the clearing dust with only a few scratches.

"I'm afraid you're too late Hiei," the man said with a wicked grin.

Hiei looked back at the girl, but she seemed perfectly fine, just a little dazed.

"What do you mean Reisaki?" demanded Hiei, holding his katana out in front of himself, pointed at the coyote demon.

"Why this," Reisaki flicked open his hand to reveal a small ball of blue energy.

Hiei tensed as he sensed it to be the same energy as the girl.

"What have you done?"

"Oh, just a little spell I learned. I've been dying to try it out." Reisaki replied, smiling at the ball of energy.

"Enough of your stupid games!" Hiei cried. He rushed at the demon, but stopped short when he heard a shrill scream.

He looked over to the girl to see her fall to her knees, her face twisted in agony.

"Akiko!"

He was immediately at her side, a hand on her back as the girl shook violently.

"What happened onna?" Hiei asked.

Akiko shook her head. "I don't know, I was perfectly fine, then this great pain shot through my whole body."

At this point, Reisaki spoke up, bringing all the attention back on him. "As I said, just a small spell, but it is proving to be very useful. Observe."

The demon closed his hand slightly around the ball and Akiko screamed out in pain once more.

Reisaki released the ball and the girl stopped screaming and just layed on the ground, shaking and trying to get her breath back.

Hiei stood, about to run at the man but stopped as the coyote demon's hand tensed.

"One more step Hiei, and I kill her."

The fire demon growled.

"What is your purpose of all this, Reisaki?" Hiei asked, his body tense.

"To get your soul and all your demonic power."

Hiei growled at the demon again. "Good luck with that. 'Cause you're not getting either," he said with a smirk.

"Alright then." Reisaki closed his hand around the ball a little tighter this time.

Akiko's shrill scream filled the room.

Hiei's smirk fell as he knelt back down at her side.

Reisaki released the energy and the fire demon glared at him.

"So what will it be Hiei? Yourself or the girl?" The Coyote demon had an evil gleam in his eye, knowing he had won.

Akiko spoke, her voice barely audible. "Hiei, don't….worry about me…..I can take it….Just don't give him….what he wants."

"That's so sweet. So you say you can take it girl? Well we'll see." The demon tightened his hand even tighter than before and Akiko screamed and writhed on the ground in pain.

After about a minute of enjoying his show, Reisaki, slowly let go of the ball once more.

"Have you made your choice?" He looked questioningly at Hiei.

The fire demon looked away from him, not yet able to choose.

"Sorry, you took too long to answer." The demon clenched his hand once more, almost to the point of killing Akiko.

She screamed, louder than she ever had before, tossing and turning as her body shook and jerked with the torture.

"Fine, take them," Hiei said with a sad but determined tone.

"I knew you would give eventually, Hiei," Reisaki said as he reached out with his free hand.

"No!.....Hiei don't do this dammit!...." yelled Akiko, using whay energy she had left as she looked at Hiei.

The fire demon, ignoring the girl's cries, watched as the coyote demon lowered his hand holding the blue ball of energy. The ball fizzled out.

Hiei smirked and within a second he had grabbed his katana and had it stabbed through Reisaki's stomach.

"You know, for thinking this through so well, you sure left out a quite a few factors. Like I'm not stupid," Hiei commented as he removed his sword.

The demon fell to the ground, dead.

Hiei ran over to Akiko's side, where she was nearly unconscious.

"C'mon Akiko, I'm alright, now let's get you healed." He lifted her easily in his arms.

"Did you beat him?" Akiko asked with a voice that almost wasn't there.

Hiei smirked. "Of course. Did you actually doubt me?" he asked, walking from the room.

Akiko laughed lightly and shook her head, then groaned.

Hiei picked up his pace slightly and said, "Good. Always know I'll win, Akiko."

Akiko smiled and fell asleep in the arms of the man who was willing to sacrifice everything for her. The arms of her protector.


	2. Love

Hiei quietly entered the room, Yusuke right behind him.

"How is she doing?" The fire demon asked, hiding the concern very well from his voice.

Yusuke sighed and put his hands in his pockets. "Not good, we finally got her too sleep."

"What do you mean finally? Hasn't she been resting? It's been two days!"

Yusuke shook his head. "Ever since you dropped her off, she's been purposely reopening her wounds and they don't even dare try giving her anything to knock her out, afraid she wouldn't wake up."

"Baka onna. Why would she do something like that?" Hiei asked, staring at the sleeping form on the bed.

The spirit detective shrugged. "All I could get out was something to do with waiting for you. Have any idea what it could mean?"

Hiei didn't answer, just stared at the girl, an angry glare in his eyes.

"Well….I'll just a… leave you then," said Yusuke nervously, backing quickly out of the room.

The fire demon paid no attention as he went and stood by the girl's bedside.

It only took a few minutes before she awoke.

Once her eyes were open, Hiei drew back his hand and slapped her hard across the face.

She gasped and her head turned to the side with the impact.

She turned back to glare at him, and he glared back with just as much venom.

"What the hell was that for?!" she finally burst out after about a minute of the staring contest.

"How could you be so stupid, Akiko?!"

She didn't need and explanation, she knew what the fire demon was talking about.

"They wouldn't tell me where you were. It was torturing me, I just returned the favor," she answered, looking away.

"It's nothing to lose sleep over, onna."

"But _you_ are, to me, Hiei. Nothing you say is going to change that."

Hiei froze in shock. "What do you mean?"

Akiko sat up, flinching, and didn't answer, not looked at Hiei.

"What do you mean Akiko?" Hiei growled as he grabbed her chin and roughly forced her to look at him.

The girl averted her eyes and Hiei's hand dropped as a tear trickled down her cheek.

"Where _did _you go Hiei?" Akiko asked, turning to look at him with sad eyes.

"I had some business to finish with the demon we were fighting."

"But I thought he was dead."

"Demon's aren't that easy to finish off, it takes more than a stab through the stomach to kill them. Especially, B class, such as he was."

"You didn't…" she trailed off, worry in her voice.

"If I had given that bastard my soul or my power, I wouldn't be here," He said sharply with a slight glare.

"Oh yes." Akiko replied, feeling stupid for even thinking that.

"So you see, there was nothing to worry about."

"But I always worry about you Hiei. You're just as stubborn as me and just as stupid at times, you're going to get yourself killed one of these days."

"Care to explain?"

"What is there to explain? Isn't it obvious? I love you Hiei!"

More tears.

He was truly shocked, he had honestly not noticed. He had always seen Akiko as his idiotic, naïve, stubborn housemate who loved to follow him and around and pester.

He stared at her for a moment, she was obviously waiting a response, words saying he felt the same way.

He turned around and disappeared without a word.

There was one problem with her little equation.

He didn't love her back.


End file.
